Spencer b



(No Model.)

S. B. LANE.

TAPE MEASURE.

No. 467,280. Patented Jan. 19,1892.

WITNESSES: l/VI/E/VTOR 7 75 AIME/VH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SPENCER B. LANE, OF \VATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASS'IGNCR TO EDYVARD P. HAFF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TAPE-MEASURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,280, dated January 19, 1892.

Application filed October 17, 1891- Serial No. 409,003. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SPENCER B. LANE, a resident of WVaterbury, New Haven county, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tape-Measures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in tape-measures, particularly to that class of tape-measures in which the tape is wound upon a spring-cylinder.

It consists in providing in such tape-measures a suitable controlling device for the springcylinder, whereby the tape may be unwound to any required length and held there until the spring-cylinder is allowed to be actuated.

It consists, also, in the details of construction and combination of partshereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved tape-measure with the side removed. Fig. 2 isaplan view of the side which carries the controlling device for the springoylinder, and Fig. 3 is a central cross-section on the line 3 3 of Figs. 1 and 2.

a is the cylindrical case of the tape-measure, which is provided with two heads I) 1). Within this casing a is placed the springcylinder 0, upon which the tape cl is wound. This cylinder 0 is actuated in the usual-manner, so that when the tape is drawn out and released the cylinder 0 will rotate and rewind the tape. 4 On the inner side of the head I) is secured one end of a spring-tongue 6, whose other end bears against the spring-cylinder c with sufficient force to prevent its winding the tape. Passing through the center of the other head I) of the casing and of the spring-cylinder c is a sliding pin f, whose inner end bears against the spring-tongue c, and is adapted to raise said tongue from contact with the cylinder 0 whenever said pin fis pressed inward. The spring e prevents the pin f from rattling. The inner end of the pin f has a head or enlargement to prevent its dropping out.

The operation is as follows: The spring 6 is always in frictional contact with the springcylinder 0; but this friction is easily overcome when the tape is drawn out for the purpose of measuring. As soon as the pull upon the tape ceases, the pressure of the spring 6 upon the spring-cylinder c is sufficient to prevent the spring-cylinder returning to its normal position and winding the tape up again. Pressure upon the pin or rod f raises the spring from the cylinder 0 and the cylinder and tape then return to their normal position.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim, and secure by Letters Patent,-is-

1. The combination of the case a, heads 19 b, and spring-cylinder c with the spring-tongue e, secured with one end to the inner side of one head b'of said case a and adapted to bear frictionally with its other end against the cylinder c, and with means, substantially as described, for releasing the frictional contact of said tongue 6 with said cylinder 0, substan- 7o tially as described.

. 2. The combination of the case a, having heads I) b and containing the spring-cylinder c, carrying tape d, with the spring-tongue 6,. secured to one head I) of said case and adapted 7 5 to bear frictionally upon the cylinder 0, and with the sliding pin f, which is adapted to raise the tongue efrom frictional contact with the side of the cylinder 0, substantially as described.

SPENCER B. LANE. Witnesses:

H. MELLEN, DANIEL KIEFER. 

